News-Miner Editorial
Clear the air
Agreement with the state is the next necessary step
Published Sunday, October 11, 2009
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Stumble It!On Thursday, two days after Fairbanks voters confirmed that they want local government involved in efforts to clear our air, federal regulators did what they were expected to do — they formally declared part of the borough out of compliance with new standards for airborne soot.
The next step for borough government is obvious. It must approve an agreement with the state of Alaska that will give local government a formal role in making decisions about how to improve our air.
The state government ultimately holds the authority to make those decisions, and it must do so because the entire state would suffer the consequences if Fairbanks air isn’t improved. Limits on federal highway spending and permits for industrial development are possible.
However, state law allows primary responsibility to be delegated to local government, if a municipality requests that responsibility.
Members of the Borough Assembly who forwarded the question of local involvement to voters this past summer had hoped for the confirmation received Tuesday. It was a risky move. Had voters rejected local involvement, the borough would have had an immediate quandary. Rejecting local control would invite state and federal regulators to do what they will in the borough, hardly a welcome approach. But if that’s what voters had directed, it would have been hard for a new mayor and assembly to contradict those orders without igniting a political firestorm sure to send up clouds of issue-obscuring smoke.
Fortunately, a majority of voters saw the risks of abdicating local responsibility. It wasn’t a large majority — just 53 percent — but it was enough to give solid direction to the incoming assembly and administration.
Critics of local efforts to improve our air quality certainly have some legitimate points. Much of the problem would be solved if natural gas were more widely available and less expensive here. Better information about the source of the particulates is still needed.
The existence of those challenges, however, does not negate the wisdom of local participation in efforts to meet them.
Already, the borough’s attention to this issue has reaped benefits. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency initially had proposed to categorize the entire borough as a “non-attainment” area. That could have led to limits on emissions in remote parts of the borough where few people live and no particulate problem exists. The decision announced Thursday, as expected, limits the non-attainment area to the more populated areas, which roughly stretch from North Pole to Ester and from Fox to the Tanana River.
The state has three years from the date of Thursday’s notice in the Federal Register to create a plan to meet federal air quality standards for fine particulate matter within the non-attainment area. The standards themselves must be met within five years.
The borough can participate in that planning if it signs an agreement with the state outlining the local role. It should do so, as voters have requested, without delay.
Community Discussion
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The editors have missed the mark. Again. Our borough government does not have the funds, the statutory authority, or the constitutional obligation to improve our air quality.
We could have clean air in a matter of months. It only requires that Sean Parnell give a damn about Fairbanks.
Here is how we could have clean air as a short term solution:
First, burning number 1 fuel oil is SIGNIFICANTLY cleaner than burning number 2 fuel oil. Why? The sulfur level of #1 fuel oil from Flint Hills is far less than #2. So it burns much cleaner and efficiently and releases significantly less small particulates into the air we breath. Scientific research has proven this.
"As shown in Table ES-1, reducing the sulfur content of heating oil from 2,500 ppm to 500 ppm lowers SO2 emissions by 75 percent, PM emissions by 80 percent, NOx emissions by 10 percent, and CO2 emissions by 1 to 2 percent. Other benefits associated with lowering the sulfur content of heating oil include heating system efficiency
improvements, the opportunity to develop and market advanced high efficiency boiler and furnace technologies..."
http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:wNf...
Parnell could implement a plan to ensure that number #1 fuel oil sold for home and business heating be sold at a price that is competitive with wood. This could be done by issuing rebates to home and business owners at a fixed price per gallon of #1 fuel oil purchased.
Parnell (and the legislature) should crack open the Alaska Constitution that they took an oath to uphold and read the simple language of Article VII, Section 4, that reads:
"The legislature shall provide for the promotion and protection of public health."
With homes and businesses using the cleanest possible fuel source that is readily available today the air quality in Fairbanks would improve dramatically.
If Parnell and the Legislature refuse to act to protect public health then a class action lawsuit against Alaska should be the next step to force them to do what Article VII requires.
That the residents of the coldest city in the country should have to continue to suffer like this is unconscionable.
DNM Editor - What's with all the "No Comments Allowed" articles? Couldn't congradulate the young whaler yesterday, or comment on the homeless situation. Can't comment on the lastest AK Supreme Court decision today. Is the DNM trying to censor all comment on some subjects? What's the reason for not allowing comment?
When talking about fuel oil and the maker(s) please remember that Petro Star (ASRC) makes the majority of the fuel oil for the interior. I'm only saying this to make sure the stones are thrown in the right direction.
"The state government ultimately holds the authority to make those decisions, and it must do so because the entire state would suffer the consequences if Fairbanks air isn’t improved. Limits on federal highway spending and permits for industrial development are possible."
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Do you fools seriously think the EPA will stop freeway construction in Anchorage because of what Fairbanks does or does not do? By the way, there are plenty of people around Fairbanks who want industrial development stopped because of population growth! Especially when their hunting areas are subdivided!
How about explaining to me how a 2.5 particle, born in Fox, travels 13 miles up the hill , down the hill across the Farmer's Loop swamp, across the commercial area downtown where there are no wood stoves and finds the EPA's smoke sniffer.
As a matter of curiosity, how high is UAF's smoke stack on their coal fired power plant?
By the way, the simplest solution to cutting the cost of fuel #1 fuel oil requires only the wave of the governor's pen!
The state is selling your royalty oil property to the refinery at a $63 dollar profit which is 7.75 times it's cost?
The price of #1 fuel should be about $1.25 per gallon delivered!
The sudden use of wood stoves is 100% the FAULT PRICE GOUGING BY THE STATE OF ALASKA.
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Also, what ever happened to the wood pellet factory?
Soot kills. Good we voted to clean up our air and get our government to implement plans to curb soot.
The Fed's have never withheld Highway Funds from any State for any reason. That threat is worthless, so don't even use it! The Borough
doesn't have the money to hire the experts to properly study the entire problem. The current employees, former Bus Drivers & Machanics, don't know anything as Proven by their statements to regulate & license wood stoves before even completely studying the real causes & issues of the matter. Let's hope our Assembly can get the State to pay for a formal
study of the problems that the EPA itself said they have no idea about
the causes & corrective measures necessary!
Despite the sky is falling cry's that you hear from Whitaker, Hopkins, and the FNM editorial board the only urgency is for more sensors to be installed. Sensors should be installed in random locations spread accroos the EPA identified area that would provide a repsentative picture of air quality in the entire area, not just the worst location in downtain Fairbanks. By averaging thoese results, it will be evident that Fairbanks does meet the PM2.5 standard. At the very worst, the regulated area will be MUCH smaller than the currently proposed area.
If we elect Tammy Wilson as mayor and then we can follow this path. If Luke Hopkins is elected, be prepared for Big Goverment Control.
i agree elect tammi and get a new voice in instead of the same old tired good old boys. the feds are not going to stop any of their programs because they have too many people who draw a paycheck from them. also the fairbanks daily news minor likes all new goverment programs and taxes, if you any un biased news go elsewhere if you want giggles and fun read the vry biased newsminor. i predict if luke hopkins gets elected you will see the wood stove police being out in force and they will be made up of the im bourough employees, who while they might know vehicle emmisions are not up to speed on wood stoves, but after college courses at the taxpayers expense they will be able to give tickets or leins against property to any wood stove users.
"Limits on federal highway spending and permits for industrial development are possible." Just where is all this new spending and permitting going on?
Even the EPA spokeperson said that any restrictions on federal spending as a result of not adhering to the PM2.5 standard are highly unlikely. Not exactly the same opinion that Whitaker, Hopkins, and the FNM Editorial Board as shared with residents of the Borough. You think there may be an underlying agenda that these people have?
"...made up of the im bourough employees, who while they might know vehicle emmisions are not up to speed on wood stoves, but after college courses at the taxpayers expense they will be able to give tickets or leins against property to any wood stove users..."
Moderates, take notice. The people who support Tammie Wilson are uninformed, and in this case, not quite literate. Tammie's goals of limiting government to the point of anarchy is emotionally appealing, but it's not up to the task of actually running the borough. Tammie's weighed down by an unyielding hatred for government to such an extent that she'll put up with our children and elders breathing bad air just to keep her no-government ideology pure. This is dangerously short-sighted.
The borough better hurry up and pass some new ordinances establishing a new air quality division before they have to lay off the I/M program employees. After all that was their plan all along, just listen to the budget committee meetings earlier this summer. Don't worry there won't be any layoffs when the I/M program expires we will just make new jobs in the PM 2.5 program.
mcgillagorilla: "elect tammi and get a new voice in instead of the same old tired good old boys"
Dude, have you seen her yard? If you're looking for that lady to clean up anything I suggest you search elsewhere. Seriously.
Since we all hate the guvment and educated elitists we should vote for succession from all this meddling federal funding and mandate that the borough do nothing about air quality. If the choice is my wood stove or a thriving economy I'll choose wood stove every time.
Ft. Wainwright can take its dirty stacks of federal money, I've got old tires to burn that will keep me warm well into December. Now perhaps the rest of you naysayers will see the wisdom in stacking dead cars in your yard. Anyone ever seen a VW engine burn?, it's a beautiful thing.
Madtrapper: You mean this? No wonder Tammie was on the junkyard task force.
http://www.co.fairbanks.ak.us/Assessing/...
Power: Where are these EPA sensors? No, not just where you think they are or have heard they are, where are they really? Do you have any sources?
No-one is going to take away your woodstoves, least of all Hopkins.
This is a 2nd class borough. We have limited powers.
First we divide the borough into zones. Each zone will have to have a "sniffing tower" that determines air quality levels...bought and installed by the EPA.
Then we make the EPA find out how many individuals living in each zone have a medical condition aggrevated by the below standard air quality. Then we work together to determine if the risk is sufficient to warrant regulations restricting or eliminating the use of certain air pollution devices used in that zone.
At least outlying areas would not be subject to areawide borough restrictions if their zone did not violate air quality standards.
Yes we should question science to the degree that identifies the number of high risk individuals in an area or zone that will have health problems from air quality standards below the new levels. Question how long of an exposure is required. Will one or two full days of below standard air quality have an impact? If so will staying in the house resolve the issue? Just how serious is an air quality violation relevant to time of exposure?
Once this data is determined, with the same science used to come up with our new levels, we can better decide what action is needed to prevent or eliminate the hazard.
Do we have enough common sense in the borough to think this through?
The city of Fairbanks didn't when they eliminated many wood stove options by their recent ordinance. The sky is falling in the city according to their premature attitude.
The borough already has a program for high risk people when the forest fires overwhelm us. Why can't similar programs be initiated to solve these new federal air quality standards without some common sense here. Start by putting the burden on the EPA to determine how many high risk people are in jeopardy in the areas or zones they wish to regulate.
Eliminate wood burning in Fairbanks Alaska. You got to be kidding!
Henry - As you know there is one permanent PM 2.5 monitoring station in the FNSB. It is located on top of the State Building.
I found this article which discusses air monitoring on Eielson during 2004 & 2005. This location is more representative (although presumably higher due to the coal plant) of most locations in the proposed FNSB regulated area.
http://www.dec.state.ak.us/AIR/doc/EAFB_...
The Eielson study showed the PM2.5 standard of 35 ug/cubic meter was exceeded seven times during the two year period. Six of those times were due to wildfires.
The PM2.5 issue in Fairbanks may be the most wasteful use of government money in the history of the FNSB...which is saying a lot!
"How about explaining to me how a 2.5 particle, born in Fox, travels 13 miles up the hill , down the hill across the Farmer's Loop swamp, across the commercial area downtown where there are no wood stoves and finds the EPA's smoke sniffer."
The same way that heavy metals from Asian coal fired plants make it to the snow covered shores of Barrow...
ex IM employees and businesses should refund the people for monies they took for a program that never worked.
Speaking of 2.5s, when I when to town this morning. I was able to observe wood smoke from only 1 stove in an estimated 10 square miles viewable either side of Chena Hot Springs Road from Nordale Road to the Steese Highway.
When I drove down the Steese highway in to Fairbanks, while over looking Fairbanks- I did not NOTICE any evidence of wood stove smoke in an area from Farmer 's Loop, looking west, to University Avenue and South to the Tanana River.
I estimate the area to be about 12 square miles.
By the way, last summer visibility in the same area was 500' or less! Birch Hill was could not be seen from Low's nor Wal Mart's parking lot.
After re-reading the Editorial, I starting to wonder about contamination in the office coffee pot or a C0 [1] problem!
Being a believer in simple explanations, I bet it is the vapor off of taxpayer dollar bills and thoughts of supporting a worthless government program.
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[1]
"Carbon monoxide poisoning is the most common type of fatal air poisoning in many countries.[4] Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, but extremely toxic: it combines with hemoglobin in the blood to produce carboxyhemoglobin (COHb), which is ineffective for delivering oxygen to the body tissues (a condition known as anoxemia). Concentrations as low as 667 ppm can cause up to 50% of the body's hemoglobin to convert to COHb. In the United States, OSHA limits long-term workplace exposure levels to 50 ppm.[5]
The most common symptoms of CO poisoning can resemble the flu, including headache, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, lethargy and a feeling of weakness. Infants may be irritable and feed poorly. Neurological signs include confusion, disorientation, visual disturbance, syncope and seizures."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_mono...
Actually, Power, I didn't know that. Thanks.
How about the chunks of soot coming out the diesel pick up trucks that so many Fairbanks motorist think are great commuter vehicles?
I say ban the dirt trucks and their offensive noise, it will kill two birds with one stone.
Yes, yes. And it goes on and on. The people being railroaded into thinking this a must-do-now issue... that the people have been given no choice about. Sure feels good having a representative government.
So, the air is really bad. Sure, so that's why we're allowing folks to burn yard debris at will. Why, just this weekend, the little "mill" on the Parks Hwy by the Loon looked like they had multiple bonfires of who knows what burning. Yeah, that's how we clear the air.
None of this makes a bit of sense. None of it. The air is bad, folks, so let's drop I/M, and let's just burn what we want in the front yard, and lets...
Oh forget it. How ridiculous.
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